Title: Practical ApplicationAuthor: ardavenportTimeframe: pre-Episode I, pre-TPMGenre: dramaCharacters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi, OCsKeywords: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi, possessions, Jedi CodeSummary: Obi-Wan endures a long-standing Jedi tradition.Notes: Typo is my middle name, with missing words and errors that spell checkers do not catch being my speciality - if you see any, just post a reply or send a PM with the what and where and I will kill them with no mercy.Disclaimer: All characters and the Star Wars universe belong to George and Lucasfilm; I am just playing in their sandbox.

"What did Master Cumotti say?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked, looking up, as his own Master arrived at the seat opposite him in the eating hall that murmured with the morning movements and sounds of the first meal crowd in the Jedi Temple.

"Our mission to Settak has been cancelled," he replied, taking his bowl, plate, cup and utensils off the tray and sliding it onto Obi-Wan's on the side of their table. "The security issues with the government there have been resolved." He sat down. Obi-Wan stared back in disbelief, a roll of sweet bread halfway to his mouth.

"Or rather," Qui-Gon Jinn continued, picking up his food scoop and stirring the boiled grain in his bowl. "The populace of the planet is now aware of the government's profligate spending in the name of security. The Jedi cannot be of any assistance to them with their new scandal," he finished, taking a bite.

Obi-Wan nodded and they both ate in shared silence for a moment.

"However," Qui-Gon said, sipping his juice. "Master Cumotti asked for our attendance at Master Rudeok's Lecture after first meal. And I said we will go."

Obi-Wan stopped chewing, slowly resumed and swallowed.

"Master, do we need to attend Master Rudeok's Lecture?"

At once he knew his question was a mistake when he saw the cold, critical expression on Qui-Gon's bearded face.

"Perhaps we do."

Obi-Wan nodded, lowered his eyes and reapplied himself to his meal. Anything else he might say would just bring out more disfavor from Qui-Gon. It had been years since he had attended Rudeok's Lecture and at twenty-three, he had thought he would not attend one again until he was Knighted and would take his own Padawan to it. But apparently not.

He finished his sweet bread, sweeping up the last few bits of spicy protein mash with it and started on his muja fruit and julaberries.

"Do you expect that we might be called up on another mission soon?" he asked as casually as possible. "This could cause difficulties if we have to re-provision ourselves quickly."

It was a reasonable question and Qui-Gon shrugged amiably, his displeasure gone. "I asked Master Cumotti about that and he thought it was very unlikely. I expect the Council will be aware of who attends and take that into account when assigning missions in the immediate future."

Nodding, Obi-Wan took another bite of fruit. Rudeok's Lecture was inevitable. Qui-Gon would go. He would go. He would accept it. He glanced around the small groups of other Jedi in the eating hall and wondered how many of them he would see there as well.

They finished their meal, cleared their table and, after passing the trays and dishes to one of the attending droids, left to go to the assembly room.

There were many such assembly and learning rooms, but Master Rudeok always seemed to give her lecture in one of the more ancient ones, deep in an older part of the Jedi Temple. And she only gave one lecture, on one part of the Jedi Code, the prohibition against attachments and possessions for a Jedi.

They descended a staircase to a long hallway, narrower and darker than the ones above, the stone floor rougher by the walls and worn smooth in the middle with millennia of foot traffic. Other Jedi headed toward the same assembly room. Obi-Wan heard more coming down the stairs after them.

The assembly room was like a circular stone pit with rows of stone seats rising steeply all around

You know, when I think of a naked challenge, my ideas are pretty, um, straight forward. Of course you have to go and give it an actual compelling plot and everything!

I loved the backstory of the tradition and then Obi-Wan with the coin. And of course, naked Obi-Wan is the highlight for me. What's great about this story and others you write is that you find the differences between Obi-Wan and his Master, but at the same time show the closeness between them. Fantastic job, as always!

earlybird-obi-wan, GeneralKenobi7, VaderLVR64, GuNgAnFaN3090, LuvEwan: Thanks all, for reading! I do have to admit that I just make up names of incidental characters as I go. I just suppose that this story is just an excuse for a Jedi lesson -- when the difference and closeness between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan show up best -- ooooooooorrrr maybe just to get them naked.